


The Mercy Seat

by Eureka234



Series: I Couldn't Tell if You Were Blessed or Cursed [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: BDSM Scene, Blooming Rose, Brothels, Drabble, Dragon Age Kink Meme, F/M, Femdom, I'm Going to Hell, Light Sadism, Power Play, Sorry Not Sorry, Verbal Abuse, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 11:42:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9895058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eureka234/pseuds/Eureka234
Summary: Faith is adjusting to work at the Blooming Rose. One customer's request helps her discover her dominant side. NSFW for obvious reasons.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I got a bit carried away with this, even if it was fun to write. Enjoy!  
> Title is based off the song by Nick Cave. Thanks to Schattenriss for the title idea.

And the mercy seat is waiting  
And I think my head is burning  
And in a way I’m yearning  
To be done with all this measuring of truth.  
And an eye for an eye  
And a tooth for a tooth  
And anyway I told the truth  
And I’m not afraid to die.

The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave

9:22 Dragon

Faith tightened her fingers around the arms of the chair. It was soft and didn’t have too many drink stains over it. All the other customers were drifting here and there like leaves in the wind and staring over at her. The Blooming Rose, the biggest brothel in Kirkwall, was managing the night crowds now. She had worked here for two years so far, and recognized the regulars. They could have her, but not the chair. The other workers couldn’t have the chair, either. If they did, she’d put on a smile but deep down wish to stab them.

 _Only one left for the night,_ she told herself, _calm down._

Just for once she wished a customer had a lyrium fetish so she had an excuse to drink some, but even if such a thing existed, the Rose wasn’t allowed any mind altering substances in the rooms, not even alcohol. It was hard to resist getting some water just to put something down her throat that wasn’t flesh. She grinned as a man around her age – thirties, she suspected- with muscly arms approached her.

“Good evening,” she said, sitting up a bit straighter, “How are you, sir?”

“Very well, madam,” the stranger answered. He had tanned skin like hers, though his was a shade darker, “I have a question, if you don’t mind.”

“If it has anything to do with standard service, I would be delighted to educate, sir.”

She watched his irises gently drift to her neck, then settle on one of her ears. “Is it at all possible that sessions can remain anonymous?”

“Uh.” Faith hesitated. Usually the customers who wanted to push boundaries asked these questions. “We do have some basic rules, sir. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes, madam. As sad as I am to say.”

The stranger glanced for a moment at the ground. Again, it made Faith suspicious.

“Have you filled out the slip of parchment at the table over there?” Faith inquired, pointing to the end of the lounge, where a small table was against a wall near the staircase. “We do not ask much information, though a name, medical history, a means to contact your healing practitioner of choice and workplace name is requested, in case anything goes… _sourly_.”

A session going badly could mean anything from breaking out in hives from oils, or getting abused in as many ways as it is possible to.

“I have not filled it out yet,” the man said sheepishly, “I am happy to write the contact information, though I do not want to put my name. I was wondering if I could put a pseudonym.”

Faith raised an eyebrow. “Is there something you are trying to hide?”

He looked perplexed, though nodded.

“Could you tell me, sir?”

“I can’t put this nicely,” he said, with a scratch of his head, “If my wife suspects I have come here, I do not want her to be able to figure out I have.”

Faith threaded her fingers together. “I will quickly ask my boss. I suspect it will be fine if you consistently use the same pseudonym while you are here, but I have to ask her for anything that bends the rules. Do you understand?”

“Yes. That’s perfectly reasonable.”

“Excellent.” Faith rose to her feet. “This chair is important to me. Do you mind watching it for me?”

“Errr, yes, madam.”

It turned out to be fine. Madame Lusine went to accompany the man to fill out the piece of paper, to better keep his face in her memory, and ask some of her own questions to fish out trouble makers. The owner of the brothel couldn’t be double crossed. She had records of every customer. It would be easy to give as much information to the Guard as they wanted.

The man returned to Faith a few moments later with an appreciative smile on his face. “I paid for standard service, so I was hoping you were free?”

He was mildly handsome, just mildly.

“I am,” Faith said with a nod.  “Come this way.”

She guided the customer to her room, introducing herself briefly and rehearsing in her mind which questions she wanted to ask first. Her room had been taken by one of the idiot new workers, so she went to the next one that was free. If there’d be an argument about this after, so be it.

When she closed the door, the man suddenly seemed a lot more relaxed. It was nice to drown out the bard who had been singing in a similar pitch range for the past few hours. This room had a three poster bed on the right side of the room, instead of a four poster one in the center. Madness!

“I don’t mean to come off as too bold, I am sure you hear this all the time, but you are very beautiful,” the customer said.

“I do hear it a lot,” Faith admitted, “Though I still appreciate kindness from strangers.” She waved a hand to identify the chair, floor and bed. “Sit down wherever you are comfortable, sir.”

The first comment was a partial lie. She cared a lot more about hearing she was beautiful some times more than others. Mostly, the phrase, _you wouldn’t think that if you knew what I looked like without make up_ , crossed her mind.

“Thank you.” The man sat down on a chair, next to the bed instead of against a wall (What fool set this room up?!). “Have you always lived in Kirkwall?”

“Yes, believe it or not,” Faith replied, “though I don’t want to waste your time here. If you want to simply have a conversation with me, I suggest cheap service. I can ask Madame Lusine to refund you the difference or you can come in another time. I have a number of those free every week. For now I’d like to know what I can do for you.”

“Sorry. My mistake.” The man laughed.

"What pseudonym did you choose?”

“Edward.”

“A common name. A fine decision.” Faith acknowledged. “How may I be of service to you, Edward?”

He grinned, looking uneasy. “Am I allowed to tell a quick story? It does have relevance.”

Faith simply nodded. Even a single word of affirmation seemed like a waste of a precious moment.

“I am too embarrassed by what I am, uh, by a suspected _type_ of my sexual fantasies to describe them to my wife,” Edward explained, looking in awe of his own shyness, “It is because she turned up her nose at a story I told her once.”

“I understand. What was this story, sir?”

“Please, don’t call me, ‘Ser’,” Edward said, “My career is in being a Knight. I don’t want to think about work.”

“My apologies. Continue.”

The man looked distracted. Faith observed the thick, expensive stitching of his clothes, even if it was a casual shirt and trousers. She wouldn’t have guessed he was a Knight just by looking at him. Who knew, perhaps he did mercenary work too.

However, being a Knight did explain his manners.

“When I was in training, I think I might have been sixteen, I became, errr, infatuated to one of the trainers.”

“Man or woman?”

“Man. Woman.” Edward laughed, “It was a woman. Never mind what I said. I ramble when I am nervous. To the Gods above- Anyway she was a terrible, terrible person. My fellow Knights in Training always said how awful she was, in more crude language. She wasn’t physically alluring– not like yourself.”

Faith gave a small smile to acknowledge the compliment. “The horrible trainer. I have heard that kind of story before.”

“Y-You have?” Edward gave another nervous chuckle. “I wonder if it was the same one.”

“If it was, I am not permitted to disclose,” Faith stated plainly, “I enjoy the tale so far, Edward.”

Truthfully, she was thinking about lyrium and going home. It was important to stay focused. Objectively, she did find it intriguing. Lyrium’s claws had a sad habit of stealing away moments that would usually captivate her.

The man leaned forward in the chair. “It was a ridiculous story, really. There are always a number of recruits who are not suited to training. One was… he was that one recruit everyone wanted to murder in his sleep. He always talked out of turn and was… over confident, let’s say.” He hesitated, to check Faith was still listening, and continued, “We went hiking with our heavy gear over the mountains, and this idiot decided to run ahead in the track – to show he was better than everybody. The trainer-“

“What was her name?”

“Ares,” Edward said, “I trained in the Anderfels – that’s where my family was.”

“I see.”

“Ares usually screams at recruits when they do something wrong,” the customer said, “This time, she did not. She told the idiot – _you, I will speak to you properly at the bottom of the mountain_.”

“He must have been too much of a fool for too long.”

“Precisely.  This was the first time I hadn’t seen her scream. Nobody had seen her cold in this manner. I suppose I grew accustomed to the blaring noise. In its absence, I realized that I desired to hear her yell at that idiot boy.”

“Yes. What happened?”

“The problem was Ares asked for everybody to leave the two of them alone. I… I pretended to leave, but then I went for a walk around the mountain. I took another path to find my way back to them. It was just a curiosity. I told myself I wanted to see the Maker teach that idiot a lesson.  I wanted to tell my friends later what happened, because the idiot was likely to exaggerate.”

Faith smiled wearily, trying not to look too exhausted. “Did you see?”

“I decided to do push ups on a stretch of grass. I thought, perhaps it would look like I was training. Then I wouldn’t be reprimanded. But I made sure I was within hearing distance of what was occurring.” The man had a shrewd grin on his face now, looking surprised by his own daring of sharing the tale. “I had missed part of the conversation already. She was threatening him with dismissal. He, being an idiot, yelled back at her. I heard a…” he clapped his hands together. “I was startled. I glanced up to see what had happened. I think she may have slapped him in the face. I decided to slow my push ups so I could watch. She began insulting him, every aspect of his being. And the boy was staring straight ahead and doing nothing at all. As she was reprimanding him, she started to walk in a circle around him. There was one terrifying moment where she caught my eye. I looked away immediately, but my guilt was so immense I started to imagine that she was insulting me instead. Believe me, she was yelling loud enough. And I realized by the pain in my loins that I had gotten an erection from the experience.” He paused, thoughtfully.

“Mister Idiot stormed away. I thought it was over but I remember hearing her footsteps. ‘Why are you still out here?’ she demanded, ‘Your friends do not miss you? Your own company does not allure you? ‘I am being punished, madam.’ I responded, ‘Trainer Cretheus ordered me to do push ups.’ The woman laughed and put her foot on my back. She said, ‘Do a push up now. I tried, but barely managed. I was already so exhausted, and she was very strong. She kicked me and said I was to do 10 push ups before leaving, and she would make sure the technique was impeccable. She kept her boot on me and pressed her weight down.’ I suspect she was still angry from the idiot. I only managed three before she said I was pathetic and departed.”

“Why did your wife find your story upsetting?”

“She wondered if I was interested in men,” Edward said with a smile, "She couldn’t fathom any other explanation. I admit I wondered that for a time. I had never experienced such a feeling before. But I don’t think that is true. I have never felt allured to any man, and that one – no, no. Then I wondered if you might have any ideas.”

A twinge of anticipation coursed through her. This sounded like the sort of role her mage friend Ewan took for her. Now she could do this for somebody else. Hopefully, having experience on the recieving end meant she could refer to his ideas.

“I do.” Faith said. “Before I begin, I would like to inform you that anything I say is part of an act. We are going to experiment. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“If you want the experiment to stop, how will you inform me?”

Edward hesitated. “May I pull at your clothes or your hair?”

“Very well. What should I not do?"

"I have no thoughts on that present. Whatever you think, for now."

"Yes. We will begin.” Faith crossed her arms and took a moment to absorb power from the quiet. She noticed her customer looked hopeful. "Stop looking so excited.”

The customer tried to stop smiling. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“Stand, Edward.”

“Where would you like me to stand?”

“Did I tell you where to stand?”

“No, madam.”

“Then you figure out where to stand. Don’t leave me waiting.”

The man’s smile suddenly faltered and he carefully got out of the chair and stepped forward twice. “How is this?”

“Satisfactory,” Faith said shortly, “but only just. I’d like it more if you stood up straighter.”

He did so.

Her heart pounded, so hard it was like it reverberated throughout her whole body. She couldn’t tell if she was more exhilarated from trepidation or excitement.

The Rose worker started to pace. “What is your wife’s name?”

“Uh, Scarlette.”

“Sounds like a whore’s name,” Faith remarked, “That is not surprising that a man such as yourself, Edward, would marry a whore.”

“I disagree,” he answered, “In fact, she’s not much like a whore at all.”

“What makes you think you know what a whore behaves like?” It was a game, but also an honest question. “She could be doing so in secret.”

“I disagree, ma’am.”

“Disagreeing without any arguments or examples? No. You have the making of a whore too, Edward. You have a nice body. People like that. But not me. I find you plain.” The woman glanced the man up and down. “I do not want you to call me ma’am.”

She suddenly wished she had something else to wear that was less pathetic than the dress and high heels she had on.  

“How would you prefer to be addressed, miss?”

“By my name,” Faith said, pulling a small rope from her wrist and tying her dark hair up. “Do you remember it?”

“Faith.”

She smiled. Faith moved nearer and ran a finger along one of his arms. “What will your wife say if she could smell me?”

Edward smiled. “She currently has a cold.”

“You took advantage of her sickness to be with a whore?” Faith squeezed his arm, trying to sound disappointed.  “She has a stuffy nose and you chose a time of weakness to abandon her.”

“I, uh, thought it was the wiser time to approach you.”

“That is low of you, hmm,” she hesitated, mind sluggish, “pathetic recruit.”

Faith slapped his arm. Edward hardly seemed phased by it. She repeated the action again, a few inches higher. This was pulling her attention away from lyrium in a different way than usual. She felt a tingling from under her lingerie, and she felt like there was no disorder and chaos in the world. A genuine and truthfulness existed in this realm of taking the lead. Like the man with his story before, she couldn't describe what was titilating about it. It simply felt all encompassing.

Perhaps remarking on a change in her eyes, he smiled.

“Are you enjoying this treatment?” Faith inquired, running her stinging fingers a bit higher to his shoulder.

Edward tried to supress a smile. “A little, Faith.”

 _A little? That isn’t good enough!_ she thought.

Faith stepped in front of him. “Look at me, please.”

The man met her eyes, looking dazed. She hit his shoulder. “You enjoy this a little?”

“Yes.”  
“What do you like?”

“Being insulted,” Edward said. “At least, that is my guess.”

“Your desires are deviant and repulsive.” And again with the other shoulder. “Who in their proper mind would get turned on by being insulted? That’s the most terrible fetish I have ever heard.”

Edward looked down at the floor and laughed. Faith didn’t flinch.

“Look at me, Edward.”

“I am sorry." He chuckled, taking a deep breath. He met her eyes again. “Go on.”

She brought her left hand to his cheek and tapped it. “What do you think will happen next?”

“You might hit me in the face, Faith.”

“Correct. I might. Do you like being hit in the face?”

“I… am not sure.”

The woman stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek. She could nearly hear his pulse racing as quickly as hers. Faith brought her lips to his neck. “What would your wife say if you arrived home with a bruise on your face? Maybe a hickey on your neck?”

Edward took a deep breath, for the first time sounding afraid. “Please don’t do that.”

The Rose woman took note of the request and took it seriously. Still, she could threaten him.

“What do you think she’d say? What if you had sex with me?”

The customer looked worried. “She’d get very upset.”

“I can guess what she’d be thinking.”

“I doubt you can.”

_Saying that was a mistake._

“Tell me then, pathetic recruit. Tell me what she’d say.”

“I don’t want to think about it. She wouldn’t insult me. She rarely does. It’s not in her nature.”

Faith assumed from the facial expression and tone that his wife’s reaction was not a topic he wanted to discuss. “She sounds very special.”

“Oh yes, though she would curse at the Maker,” Edward said thoughtfully, “That’s where she focuses her anger.”

“The story you told me was rather perverted,” Faith remarked, “You are a very sick, twisted man.” She grabbed his hands and guided them through her hair. Edward only stroked it briefly and put his hand back at his side, a sign he was okay. “Please show me a push up.”

“Right now?”

“No, during the next Blight,” Faith scoffed, “Don’t be foolish. Follow my orders.”

“I’m sorry, Faith.” Edward said, getting onto his hands and knees.

“You will be forgiven once you show me a push up.”

He did so. “By the Heavens above, that was embarrassing.”

“I don’t blame you,” Faith said, “if that’s all you can do, it isn’t very good.”

“I… could do more of them if you like?”

“No, don’t be stupid. I don’t need to see any more push ups.”

Edward laughed again. “I feel so ridiculous. Others are having sex in the rooms and I am here on the floor.”

“You must like being on the floor.”

“Not really… though perhaps you could put your weight on me.”

With some effort and instruction, Faith managed to balance standing on him. The customer started to chuckle again.

“How would your instructor have reacted if she noticed you had an erection?”

“She would have teased me.”

“How?”

The man hesitated. “ _You are as idiotic as that other one. Thinking filthy thoughts while you are expected to be focusing on other matters_.’”

“That would be what you deserved, worthless cunt. Were you thinking dirty thoughts?”

“N-Not at that very moment, though honestly it did cross my mind a few weeks afterward, as I was trying to figure it out.”

Her legs trembling as not to fall off, Faith crouched down and touched the customer’s neck. “Would you like to share? I can act out this fantasy of yours if you wish.”

“I, uh, I can’t let you do that. Not all of it. I… I can’t do that to my wife,” Edward said.

“I am only here to do what you want me to do,” Faith said, “so if you don’t think she would be happy with it, that won’t worry me.”

“But you’ve been so helpful, Faith,” said the customer.

“Thank you.” Faith said, and she pat his head. “But we are not done yet. When you walked through the doors of the Blooming Rose, what was your goal? What did you want to achieve?”

“I did want sex, but I don’t think I do anymore,” Edward said, “Not because it isn’t tempting. I am too loyal a husband, I suppose.”

“That is an admirable quality,” Faith said, “Though we are running out of time. I kissed you before. Would that satisfy you?”

“Touch me over my clothes. Kiss me wherever you like. But my clothes stay on.”

It was agreed upon. On the customer’s request, Faith sat by him and acted out the gist of the fantasy until he started mentioning clothes being taken off. Edward sat up, and she was in front of him. She brought her hand over his thighs.

“You are proven yourself to be naïve and stupid,” Faith said, tone even, “I can write to your parents. They will be ashamed of you when they discover you were dismissed from offending me with your urges. What was the purpose of this?”

“I- I don’t know, ma’am.”

Pretending to be cold to the best of her ability, she grabbed what she could of his cock through his clothes – which, let’s be honest, wasn’t the most effective method.

“Were you trying to be clever? Do you find it funny to objectify your superior?”

The man looked flushed in the face, probably from embarrassment. “I swear it was an accident, ma’am.”

“I don’t believe you. Men are the most despicable, foul creatures,” Faith uttered, “You only think about sex and it doesn’t matter who it is with. I’m pleased you training and not roaming the streets. You would have sex with anything that moved, maybe even something that shouldn’t be touched.”

“No ma’am. I swear that is not true,” he pleaded, “I am better than the others.”

“You are not,” Faith replied shortly, “and your cock tells me otherwise.”

Edward looked like he might cry. “My cock is not r-r-representing my intentions a-accurately.”

“Cocks don’t lie, you idiot.” Digging her nails into the fabric, hoping it would hurt him, she leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. He made a sound that is difficult to put into words, and then she muttered, “How easily do you bruise?”

“Not easily, now that I think about it.”

“Good.”

She hit him against the shoulder again. "You slipped before about desiring a woman. I think you were lying. Really, you wanted to see a man here tonight."

Edward flushed. "It was an honest mistake. I really do just ramble."

"Scarlette would be upset to know, if I told her you wanted a man's cock in your mouth."

"No..." the word was weak, but he did not move. She grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her dress. He didn't pull it. In fact, he stroked her down her legs.

Faith grinned. She brought her hands around to his ass. "A cock in here would be much more immoral and filthy."

"For you, Faith, I would tell the truth. And I have never wanted such a thing."

"Of course not. You would like me to taste your cock instead."

The man avoided her eye and brought his hand to his groin. "My cock doesn't lie."

"You are learning, but you are too slow."

Examining his eyes, she tapped her hand against the side of his face. “You are scum, thinking about me like this, thinking about your superior like this- leaving your wife to suffer with a stuffy nose all alone with disease ridden tissues. It’s disgusting.”   

Faith waited a moment, to see if he would stop her, though he did not. A sound akin to a crack broke the silence as she hit him across the face as hard as she could manage. She was sure for how little she was used to this, that her hand probably stung more than his face did.

“Cunt!” she swore, “Oww…”

Swearing, she inhaled deeply to endure the pain. The man seemed relatively unaffected. Typical Knights and not showing weakness.

“Are you alright, Faith?” he asked, breaking the scene completely.

“Yes, I am fine,” she lied, “though I’m afraid we’re out of time.”

Edward sighed. “That is disappointing, but thank you.”

The woman stood up. “How will you like to be calmed down?”

Once that was dealt with and she left the room, she would assure anyone in her chair that it belonged to Miss Faith, and yes, she would hurt them in the bad way if they disagreed to move.


End file.
